I was raised with the understanding that if you want something you have to work for it. I am all for people having an opportunity to better themselves and become citizens of the united states, some do it the right way, while others take advantage of the system and use the benefits and opportunities they are given to get a free education and then they leave. I am all for people making a better life for themselves, but I am not for people using loopholes to benefit themselves, while not taking responsibility for their actions and using their status as a way of getting out of situations that a citizen of the united states would have to answer for and be accountable for.

There is no sport to fenced hunting, there is a high fence hunting setup near my home and I don't see the sport in it. You can walk up to the fence and see the exotics and other game sitting ther like they are pets waiting for you to pet them. Fair Chase is always better in my opinion

6

Shad, Shrimp, Chicken Liver, Beef Liver, Beef Heart, Beef Kidney, Perch, Tilapia, Stink Bait, Tons of baits can be used for catfish, I live to go with live bait that is found in the area, shad are my go to catfish bait.

I have let one of my dogs pass at home, but I went to my vet for medicine first. I did not want my dog to suffer in anyway, after he passed he was burried under his favorite tree. After that situation I made the choice to take my pets to the vet when it was time to put them down, but they are always brought back home to be burried in their favorite place. Either way you go it is a difficult situation

I use lots of jig/trailer combos during the colder months to increase my catch ratio. Patience is the key during the cold months.

Soft Plastics: tubes, worms, frogs, lizards, creature baits. Vary the size of the lures and the weights used, such as 1/32, 1/16, 1/8 etc and even try going weightless.

Redfish

To be honest anything that swims, but based on how often I fish and the accessibility in my area. #1 Catfish #2 Bass #3 Panfish

The biggest pet peeve I have about fishing is when common courtesy is not observed. Whether it be someone running across your lines even though you let them know where the lines were or the fact that they would come into your area and start casting over you your lines and disturbing your trip.

I really like shiner or ziegneback when I make a beer batter, but use whatever you like the taste of as mentioned above,

Grew up fishing and hunting with a family that was big into the outdoors, so it was a natural fit for me.

I would protect myself and my family at all costs.

Wild Hunt, even if it was not a trophy at least I worked for it and earned the kill.

I would recommend going the economical route and upgrading as the kids grow a little older and more experienced. That is the way I was brought up, I got hand me downs from my dad or my uncles and then learned to appreciate it and really understand how to use different equipment. Once this was established it meant a whole lot more to me when I recieved a rod and reel and when I purchsed my own equipment I remembered the lessons I learned as a child. It's your call, but with 6 kids I would go the economical route for now and make sure they really are going to stick with fishing and they will grow into their own skill level and you can make equipment upgrades from there.

Yes, I am a fan of any type of Doritos

Texas

Dwayne

I would have to say Surviorman from the episodes I have watched he seems to be the real deal

Shad Perch/Tilapia Shrimp Beef Liver Beef Heart

I have caught channel cats and largemouth bass on trident and orbit gum. I have also caught several fish on beef jerky, vienna sausages, and soap (zote) it has animal fat in it and seems to attract catfish.

Largest crappie ever caught was just over 4lbs, caught in a private lake, In a large public lake the largest caught was 3.3lbs.

When I get stuck paying for everything and my bud does not reimburse me when we agreed to split costs on trips.

Texas Rigged Worm for Bass Shad for Catfish 1/32oz jigs for Crappie

I use a flour/cornmeal mix with black pepper, cajun spices, and garlic powder. Dip fish of choice in a seasoned egg wash and deep fry in peanut or cottonseed oil. If I want a sweeter taste to the fish, dip the fish in sprite or 7up and then batter, the sugar in the soda will stick to the meat and give it a nice, sweet flavoring.

Some of my best fishing for catfish takes place in the winter. I have been out with ice forming on the line and still had success. The baits that work the best for me are live shad if available, if not frozen shad. Shrimp, and beef heart works really well. I always tell everyone I know, don't let the cold keep you away from great fishing opportunities, the cats really do bite well in cold weather.

I was brought up in the country and we learned to grow and harvest our own food, whether it be hogs, chickens, rabbits,etc. You grew it, you killed some, you ate some. If you killed it, you were eating it, it did not go to waste. Too many people want to make a political scandal out of a simple cycle of life, those of us who want to fish and hunt for food will do so, those of us who want to fish and hunt for sport will do so. You can do both and be proud of yourself, there is no need to feel shy or embarrased by the fact you enjoy the hunt, the kill, and the meal.

In my experience they just don't hold up as long and they do not have the drag system or strength to battle larger fish. I have caught good sized fish on a spincast rod, but I have not used one since I was a youngster learning to fish. To each his own, but I have had great success with spinning and baitcasting gear for a long time, they hold up a lot longer as I said before and they will handle a big fish.

I would go with a large jig and trailer combo or a weighted soft plastic tube or creature bait, you should be able to cast it a pretty good distance and drag the lure across the bottom slowly, this will allow you feel for other structure that you may not be seeing.

The hook should start to rust out before long, when that happens your float will make it to the surface and you can recover it. If you want to catch the fish try throwing out some range cubes or dog food to attract the fish, he may go after the floating food and you will have a chance to snag the line or catch him with a net if you want to remove the hook.

These are honey holes for big cats. Live Perch, Shad, Shrimp, Beef Hearts. I will always go with live bait if available, if not go with shad or cut bait. If they are not hitting on the bottom go with a large float or bobber with a long leader line, use circle hooks, if you are going for larger fish go with a 6/0 or 8/0 size circle hook

I just fish on a regular basis, the best bet is to use shad or beef hearts. The beef hearts will not pull of easily and you can catch multiple fish on the same bait. There are some tips and pics of juglines on a fishing forum that i help moderate. www.fishingacrosstx.com We build our jugs out of pvc pipe and swimming pool noodles, they hold up for a long time and they will catch very big fish. Hope this helps a bit.

If you are going for large bluegill, try using some small jigs and grub style baits, if you want to try something other than live bait. For the catfish I would go with shad/shrimp/beef liver/beef heart on a circle hook 3/0,4/0, or 5/0 based on the size of the catfish

40% Bran Flakes with Vanilla extract or Big Red Soda, Just place the flakes in a sock and dip it in the water, squeeze until it becomes a sticky dough bait. Add the extract to it if using vanilla, if you use the big red just pour that into the sock and use it instead of dipping it into the water. Use a #4 or #6 treble hook

The best day ever was largemouth bass fishing in a private lake, we caught more than we could count, best estimate was 200+

My wife goes with me as often as she can, we also are avid catfish anglers, but she will go after bass, crappie, and pretty much anything that swims. I don't have any children, but my niece and nephew go with us almost every weekend to fish as well.

Great way to spend time with family and friends. It is always and adventure and it is a great way to relax and do what we love to do.

I love them both, but I have access to fresh water on a daily basis, I have to drive quite a while to hit the salt.

I have been in this situation before, we were clearing out some wild hogs from a farmers land and we had several shots glance off the head of a large hog. We upgraded the guns and we did not have any more problems, but as stated above the straight on head shot is the ideal shot.

One bait I use on lines and it never fails me is beef heart, cut the beef heart into sugar cube sized pieces and you will get around 100 baits or so out of one heart. Only costs you about $3 or so for a heart and they bait is extremely tough, multiple fish can be caught on the same bait without having to rebait. The scent it puts out is great for channels and blues alike

First find out what the local cuisine is, by that I mean find out what the prime food source is in the area. For instance in my local catfish lake the prime bait is shad, I catch them in my cast net and then use live and cut shad to catch the majority of my catfish. Other baits included: beef liver, beef heart, shrimp, perch or bream cut or live, stink bait. Good Luck

As stated above he is a puppet on a string and he can't be trusted, people will soon realize what a major mistake they made giving him and his coherts power.

As mentioned above larger baits. Shad/Perch/Tilapia, etc Beef Liver/Beef Hearts/Chicken Gizzards/Shrimp All of these baits will work

Just keep fishing and after if they guy keeps it up just let him know if he thinks he could do better there is a lot of water to be fished, grab a pole and put your talking to the test. If he really wants to continue he may grab a rod and join you, if not he will go away because he was called on his ignorance.

Texas Rigged Worms or Weedless rigged tube. I have more success in farm ponds during the summer with these baits than any other.

One lure that has always worked for me is a bluefox vibrax 3/16oz or smaller, they have a great action they really seem to get the trout biting.

When I first started I just paired up with some local anglers and asked a lot of questions, nothing like hands on training to better your knowledge.

You really don't know how you or someone else will react until that moment comes, all you can do is hope you will rise to the occassion and do what is needed to keep yourself and your fellow soldiers alive.

I recently tried the money minnow, it was productive on several trips, but on others I went without a single hit. On the trips that the bait was productive I did a stop and go retrieve with a few twitches, I just kept this pattern going and they seemed to time the movement and hit it after the twitch. Hope this helps a bit.

Are you using light line? As Alex stated adjust your drag and use it to your advantage, I have taken large catches on ultralight tackle with no problems, but you have to use the drag and play the fish out. Hope this helps.

7ft quantum ultralight rod with a spidercast spidermite spinning reel, spooled with 2lb testline

Congrats on the great catch.

The show is entertaining but some of it is edited for tv. The show does give us some useful tips from time to time.

I revisit old posts and answer those that I feel I can contribute to. Don't be afraid to make comments on an older post, it may answer a newer members question or start up a new conversation. Nothing wrong with looking at old posts.

+1 for quality answers or those that make me laugh -1 for a rude or crude comment that is meant to bash another user

Alaska or Costa Rica for me

You did not have to leave, but you did the right thing. Never know what will happen when out on a fishing trip.

I would just keep yourself informed and gather as much information as you can, if you have access to some seasoned anglers in your area team up with them and do some fishing, no better way to learn than to get a hands on lesson.

Gibbons Creek in Carlos, Tx, Sommerville, Conroe Gibbons is one of the hidden gems of Texas

I use shad on a regular basis or shrimp, but also it depends on what they are eating in your local body of water, experiment with a few baits and also try to match some of the baits in your area. I also have great success with crawfish and freshwater mussels if they are available in the area.

As stated above if you want the info get the magazine, but the gear testing is not gonna be that great or happen that quickly. Just my personal experience

I would recommend a baitcasting setup and a spinning setup. Abu-Garcia, Shimano, Quantum. These setups can all be purchased in various price ranges from $40 and up based on what you are looking for.

I think it's good that he returned the money, by using the confessional booth he returned the money to the credit union, who knows whether he actually had a gun or not, he did commit a crime, but by returning the money he felt redeemed. They will still arrest him if they can find out his true identity, I guess he will be at peace when he sits in a cell.

I blend up shad and combine it with a bran flake base to make a paste bait that works pretty well.

I make a dough bait with 40% Bran flakes and place it in a sock or a piece of cloth, dip in the water and mold until you get a sticky dough bait that will stay on the hook. You can also add flavoring like vanilla, strawberry, etc. for more scent

I like to vary the retrieve, a stop and go retrive with a erratic jerk here and there seems to produce the best results.

daily

Rooster tail as stated above Jig heads in 1/8. 1/16, sizes with some grubs of differerent color patterns, 3" or 4" Grubs.

I would vary the size of the baits you are using and if they won't hit a crankbait or stick bait then switch to a soft plastic jerk bait or shad style bait and rig it weedless or imbed a weight in the body of the lure to get more depth and erratic action. A simple way to do this is to cut a piece of a nail and imbed it in the head of the soft plastic, cheap alternative to buying the peg weights that are sold. When the bite is tough, I switch to soft plastic jerk baits and use weights to get them to the right depth. Hope this helps

I dont like her at all she seems unstable and off in every way. She has made lots of racial comments as well that she will not answer for and she has a distant stare to her that makes her seem like some sort of wack job. It will be a disaster to put her in power,

Wish him the best, recovery from a major injury can be tough, but if anyone can get through it he can, with his tenacity and drive he will come out of this stronger than ever.

As mentioned above a top water bait is a good choice, a t-rigged worm, or a large spinnerbait slow rolled will put out a large vibration that will attract the bass. I like to use war eagle spinnerbaits, they have large blades on them and they put out a ton of vibration, they also seem to be very well constructed and hold up longer than lots of other brands.

A spinnerbait is a very versatile bait that can be used in all depths of the water column, just stick to it and vary the retrieve, including the speed and movement of the bait, if you don't have one attached try to add a small worm as a trailer to create a larger profile bait and increase the vibration the lure is putting off. You could even change out the size, color, and style of blades on the spinnerbait to increase the strikes.

Sorry for your loss, I have lost a family pet before and they are more than a pet they a member of the familhy, it's tough. The way we got over it was to wait a few weeks and then we got another pup, use the fond memories of your lost pet to help with the healing process.

I like to lightly season them and cut into strips, grill them over foil and then I lay them on top of a fresh salad. I also make a citrus dressing with pineapple and orange juice and some cajun spices. Great for a warm summers day or just a light meal, Just another alternative recipe for you

Have not used that particular model, but any rod that is given to you by a family member has memories attached to it. Let us know how it works out

Not being sarcastic with this question, but is the color yellow or golden color, Also what is the cover like in the lake, is it heavy with plants or is it pretty bare.

Yes You can use monofilament line, braided line or any other type of line you like. They handle monofilament very well, I use more monofilament in my bait casters than I do braid, unless I am fishing jigs in heavy cover, then I load it up with braided line.

There are a few baits i use during the heat of the day, the first is a texas rigged worm or tube. The next would be a slow rolled spinnerbait or buzzbait worked along lilly pads or shoreline.

Flat lips will give you more depth, Also you can get the putty weights, they attach to the bait lip, usually on the underside and they will give you a few more feet. It modifies the action just a bit, but if the bait is not getting deep enough try that or attach to the underside of the belly.

I agree with hawg daddy I have used the shakespear reels before and for that price range they are pretty good. Also if you catch them on sale abu's or shimano can be found for that price.

My wife goes fishing and hunting with me on a regular basis, she knows how to handle herself because she was brought up in the country like me and exposed to hunting and fishing at an early age. When we take my niece and nephew fishing we try and teach them how to handle themselves in the outdoors as well. I think a lot of it has to do with whether or not you were exposed to it at a younger age, or if someone took the time to show you how to handle yourself in the outdoors.

Nice to have a wide range of ages and experience on this site.

Tough call, but I think I would have to be level headed and put a little beating on him before making him carry my dog back to my truck, then I would give him a little more of a beating and kindly explain to him what he did wrong. I would love to fill him with buckshot, but with today's court system they would pick the hunter who was in the wrong over the dead animal, not the right thing to do, but that's how it would be called. Just my opinion

I hope to get the opportunity to someday

Just make comments and be active on the forum, sooner or later you will get a shot, I hope to get a chance sooner or later.

To each his own, they have a right to eat what they like just as I have a right to eat what I like. I grew up hunting and fishing and I enjoy eating meat and veggies. To each his own

I have always had good success with blue/black and motoroil or a crawfish pattern for stained or muddy water. For clear water I like to use a pumpkinseed or purple/firetail pattern.

I have had better luck with suspending myself, I really like Mann's crankbait series and there is another compancy called H20 series they seem to really work well. I agree with hawg daddy, you have more control and you can make a suspending crank do a lot more for you.

When a good cold front comes in I just slow down my presentation and fish mainly with jigs or soft plastics. I take is slow and still have very productive days on the water. Just before the front the bite really turns on and some of my best fishing days have happened during these times.

It's already been covered, but I would say sunrise, sunset, at night. More and more anglers are taking part in nightime fishing with the hot temps,.

I would not rank my own posts, you get points when other readers feel you made a useful point or answered someone's question in a way that helped them out. Boosting your own posts is wrong in my opinion

Regular

Most of it goes in the freezer, but I keep some out fresh and it hits the grill or the smoker.

If it holds up it will be a major story, if it turns out to be a fake it will disappear quickly. If the record has actually been broken it will fire up bass fisherman world wide to try and beat it.

Mono Line: Trilene 8-12lb Class. Braid: Spiderwire or PowerPro

I have used it before, it works, but it's not the magic bait they say it is. All of those baits are sold on infomercials for a reason, they are gimmic baits that will catch fish, but they are meant to catch fisherman more than anything else.

Largemouth: 26" 8lbs or so I have not done as much bass fishing this year as I would like, been focusing on crappie and catfish.

Texas Rigged Worm Jig w/ Craw Trailer

Try floating worms in 7-8" size and throw them over the lilly pads and slowly pull them over the logs, just make sure to rig the worm weedless Also try a large tube rigged weedles

As mentioned above fish the drop-offs thoroughly, don't give up too quickly. Also go with large soft plastics such as a 10" texas rigged worm or a large oversized tube bait. Also try a small swim bait such as the money minnow or the spoiler shad by creme, it's not very expensive and you can give it shot and see if it calls up the big bass.

Favorite lure would be a large shad imitation lure rigged on a jig head, scented with shad oil. If I using a regular catfish bait it would be shad, shrimp, or beef heart.

One time purchase of a crankbait that was custom built and hand painted just for me, $30 normally I won't spend over $8 for a lure.

Does not really bother me, if they are wildlife or fishing tats they show passion for the sport.

On average 2-3 hrs a day

My favorite soda would have to be root beer, I like to try all types whenever I travel. Home-made at local little resteraunts has to be the best

Ugly Stick makes a great rod, very durable and very cost effective. My favorite is a 7ft model. I also am a big fan of abu garcia for top water and jig fishing, their higher end rods hold up well.

Pontoon boat for long catfishing trips. For bass fishing normally a Tracker

Overall I would have to say a texas rigged soft plastic worm or lizard for bass. For Crappie: jigs or ultralight spinners

Overall I would have to say a texas rigged soft plastic worm or lizard for bass. For Crappie: jigs or ultralight spinners

Soft Plastics and Jigs

Treat the outdoors with respect and you will be rewarded on your hunting and fishing adventures. Treat the outdoors with disrespect and it will ruin your day.

Zoom or Creme Soft Plastics

For the big cats use the following baits. Shad: Large piece of cut shad or whole shad if available, get it as fresh as possible. Perch: 3-4" or larger if you can get them Shrimp: Frozen shrimp works well for big cats as well Beef Heart: Get a beef heart and cut pieces about the size of a sugar cube, this bait will stay on the hook and they will not steal the bait, it produces big cats. Circle Hooks, Use circle hooks and be patient Good Luck

I like a simple approach, just a little butter, lemon juice, and black pepper, grilled in a cast iron skillet until the fish is done.

Benjamin air rifle 22 after that

Bass Pro or Academy I do prefer the mom and pop stores when I have an option

Gatorade or a nice glass of sweet tea.

Catching my first 9+ lb largemouth, I was tossing a jig and pig lure, as I was reeling in the line and just about the lift the lure out of the water, I saw a huge mouth coming from beneath the water, the bass slammed the lure and actually flopped onto the bank. As soon as he realized what happened he was back into the water and peeling drag. The fight was then on and after a few minutes I landed the bass, it was my first bass in the 9lb class.

Soft Plastics: texas rigged worms, and tubes are my favorites in small bodies of water.

Power Pro, Cajun Red, Stren All will work

I had a custom fillet knife made for me by a relative who is a knife maker, holds an edge a lot longer than a store bought knife. But If in a pinch a rapala, american angler, etc will do the job, they just need to be resharpened on a regular basis.

The first thing I would suggest is to match the local food in the body of water you are fishing. There are several good baits for cats. For Channel Cats: Beef Liver, Beef Heart, Chicken Liver, Shad, Shrimp, Stink Bait For Blues: Shad, Perch, Shrimp, Beef Heart, Beef Liver Flatheads: Live Perch, Live Shad, Goldfish, Fresh Cutbait

I use salt, Sea Salt in large quantities to keep the bait fresh, This works really well with shad I catch in my cast net, don't be afraid to go heavy on the salt, it makes a big difference in how well the bait holds up. I agree with Kkeltic vacuum sealing provides the best results.

This time of year fish are on the move as stated by matouse3 I like this time of year when fishing streams and creeks, you catch a lot of fish while they are in transition from one spot to another.

Lots of good info on here, several posts that already cover that question. As stated by Big O, list a little more info and you will get a lot more feedback on your question. I fish for catfish every weeek and I will be more than happy to provide some info.

I have 3 dogs, misty, honey, and t-bone, They all get special treats and large bones for their birthday. Misty is an 80lb American Bulldog/Lab Mix Honey is a 8lb toy fox terrier T-Bone is a 11yr old Rat Terrier.

I grew up hunting for rabbits and squirrels with my dad and grandpa, still love to persue the small game over the big game on most trips. I think it's a personal choice you make and also and economical one, a lot of areas you hunt rabbits and squirrels do not charge the same as they would for deer hunters. I have several friends who lease out land only for rabbits and small game, if you want to hunt deer you pay twice as much or more.

126lb Alligator Gar, Navasota River, Texas. Fish was caught on R&R w/ Live Perch

You don't have to overnight soak, but milk with black pepper or some cajun spice works really well. If you want a sweeter tasting fish then soak them in sprite or 7up and then when you cook the fish the sugar will carmelize a bit and give it a really sweet taste.

It was a pretty cool show, I agree River Monsters is awesome as well.

Try some soft plastics in the large 10" (Anaconda) is a great worm for large bass. or go with a large jig/craw trailer combo.

I have several recipes that I need to get posted, I have seen quite a few posted in past sections. If you have recipes to post I am sure it will be viewed by readers.

Lots of good baits have been mentioned already, but the lure I learned to bass fish on was a texas rigged worm and a spinnerbait, they can be fished lots of different ways and you should be able to catch your first bass.

I have had success in these conditions using a jig and crawfish trailer combo or a crankbait that has a lot of vibration to attract the fish.

That is a go to soft plastic in my tackle box, I have had the most success with the white or white/pearl color.

Now is the time to be on the water fishing

Where are you fishing? Depending on what they eat on a regular basis will make a big impact on how many cats you catch, if you can match the local forage you may be able to improve your odds and your catch. I am a big fan of using crawfish for catfish, but depending on what lake or river I am in makes a big difference is how many cats I catch. Liver is always a good bait for catfish, as are worms, but I prefer to use shad over almost every other bait for catfish.

The grow and reproduce rapidly and cause lots of problems. I have caught several of them before, they are hard fighters and will test you drag. I have not eaten them before

Texas Rigged Worm Jig w/ Crawfish Trailer

I would explore every possible option, keep testing out different lures Kkeltic hit the nail on the head, worms and jigs are always a good bet.

Just keep your eyes open, I have been in some areas river fishing in Texas and got a suprise when a gator was laying by our fishing spots. Coould not say for sure, but it looks like gator signs to me.

There are so many I can't list them all. There is a john wayne look alike that lives in my town, he is actually a preacher and dresses exactly like john wayne and helps kids stay out of trouble.

Stinkbaits seems to work better in still water or water with smaller current, too heavy a current will pull a lot of the bait off your hook. I have good success with stink bait rigged on a #4 treble hook, just make sure you check your bait every 10-15 minutes and re bait if needed. If the bait is thick and it a dough form vs a dipbait form, then use a 2/0 or 3/0 circle hook, after you apply the bait to the hook wet it and then squeeze it around the hook to make sure it stays on. Stinkbaits work but only in the right conditions. I prefer shad or shrimp for most of my catfishing trips. Also try beef heart or beef liver.

War Eagle Spinnerbait Black/Blue Color

They are hard to get rid of, but the best way is to targe them and eliminate them. Some areas have had a bounty in the past to eliminate them, if i was in an area they populated and a bounty was offerred or even if it was not in order to preserve the body of water I would catch and eliminate them. They will take over bodies of water quickly if they are not controlled.

1. Sante Cooper - Blue Cats 2. Texoma - Blue Cats 3. Amazon River - Peacock Bass 4. Kenai River - Halibut, etc 5. Boca Grand - Tarpon Your choices are your choices and they sound fine to me, anytime you can visit an exotic location or just a location that you have dreamed of fishing it's a gift.

Some of the pics won't show if the poster did not adjust the size properly, it will have the name and text of the post, but not the picture. I have one picture out of the 50+ I have posted that won't show, because I did not size it properly. Don't know if this is the problem for everyone, but it could explain some of your problems

As mentioned above just put a new tip and you will have a shorter rod. I broke a rod like that last year and I took it to a local rod repair shop, it cost more to fix it than it cost to purchase another rod, that may not always be the case, but the cost did not justify the work that was done. Anytime I break a rod now I just add another tip and use it for a perch rod or a light action rod.

40% Bran Flakes with vanilla extract

back of the head with rattle trap, not a fun experience at all.

Bass over trout due to how close I am located to the bass versus trout.

You can use any setup to catch bass as mentioned above. If you choose to do so you can get specialty setups for different techniques and presentations, but you dont have to have them.

Buzzbaits are one of my favorites, but it's a toss up between the buzzbait and a classic texas rigged worm

Good luck on the board hunterkid94, these boards are great places to speak your mind and gain knowledge, the stars don't matter as much as the quality of content does, Just stay active and involved and you will have more stars before you know it and people will know you have quality behind your posts and not just quantity. As I said before, good luck on the board

kvd would be cool just to take in a bit of his knowledge while on the water. I would say one of the old school guys like lonnie stanley or even ray scott himself to learn not only the new techniques but the old techniques that may have been forgotten

Abu-Garcia Reels and combo are pretty good setups for baitcasters and spinning combos. Shimano makes a good spinning combo as well Recently I purchased a Gander Mountain Guide series spinning reel and so far for the price it has handled ruff conditions and the drag system really holds up well, this is the first time I purchased one of their reels.

I agree with Big O, I am an Abu-Garcia man myself, Uglystick Rods are both economical and durable rods.

You can catch whatever you want? I have landed large and small fish on 4lb test, just utilize your drag and have fun battling the fish. I have caught a 6lb largmouth on a topwater plug on 4lb test, a 20lb carp on 4lb test, several catfish in the 10-15lb range, You have to fight them for a while, but it is very rewarding to land a large fish on light tackle. Good Luck

I have several good friends that are in law enforcement and I have the utmost respect for them, they put their life on the line everyday. Some people in uniform give the force a bad name, but those are rare exceptions or people who should not be in the field. My experiences have always been positive with police officers, state troopers, etc.

My favorite show would have to be Hunt for Big fish or The in-fisherman series of shows. I prefer to be out fishing myself, but if I can't I will watch these shows over most of the others.

Make sure you dont have cookies disabled, also check and make sure you have not put the site address in a blocked or restricted site on your browser. Hope this helps.

top water in the morning spinnerbait or crank bait during mid-day Texas rigged worm in late afternoon Jig/Trailer combo if the worm is not producing.

Large Jig with crawfish or creature trailer. I catch lots of them on texas rigged worms when fishing shallow coves during the summer

I recently set out on an all night cat fishing trip with my cousin lee, also in attendance were the wives. My wife loves to fish and enjoys each trip we take, while lee’s wife is till getting used to idea of fishing. She never really fished before and she is not really the outdoors type, but we are working to change that. It was a hot sticky night, we had just had a tremendous rainfall and the water levels were at an all time high. The fishing pier we normally night fish from was underwater, we had to stand at the boat ramps and make due. We wanted to fish so we weren’t going to let a little rain stop us. One thing we didn’t count on was the fire ant population that had gathered due to the high water levels. We were being eaten alive by these nasty little pests so we sent the women to go get some ant spray from the local gas station, big mistake that was. They returned with raid wasp and hornet spray, we both laughed until they told us it cost $8 for the can. Eight dollars! What a rip that was, future note never buy insect spray from a gas station. We had to laugh about it until we were interrupted by an onslaught from the swarming ants, what a pain in the ass they were. We decided to stand in the water to fish for a while; the ants had other ideas though. We figured being in knee deep water would be sufficient, but it wasn’t, the ants were going to get to us no matter what. They would latch onto floating branches and leaves; they found a way to keep biting us. We were not going to get discouraged though, it was early and the bite was yet to come, so we thought. The only bite that ever came our way was followed by several more from the local fire ant population. The fishing was very dull that night, but we the ants made sure we didn’t leave empty handed. They were all over us, even on the way home. I had to stop the truck a few times and remove ants from not so comfortable places. I thing anyone who has ever camped out or fished in poor conditions understands where i'm coming from. The is nothing more annoying than having an angry heard of fire ants find their way down your pants and into your nether regions. Not a pretty sight when everyone around you is grabbing themselves and picking their butts while cussing the day fire ants were created. Oh well its all part of the experience as they say, what an experience we had, one we will never be able to forget. Lee’s wife who is new to all of this couldn’t understand why we would put ourselves through this ordeal. We looked at each other, picked ants out of private places and laughed. What else can you do but laugh, she stood there shaking her head as we continued on our way.

I converted an angled drafting table to work on reels and lures, etc. I mounted peg board on the wall in front of me and on the side of me, then I attached hooks so I could have tools and reel oil etc in an easy to find place. This also make a great place to hang lures that you have repainted to dry, you can also hang reels that are not being used on the pegs to utilize storage space.

Another thing to try is to soak the fillets in sprite or 7up, the sugar will hold onto the fillets and give them a very sweet taste when cooked. As stated above I use buttermilk if I dont have a soda handy.

Courtesy is something that a lot of people are lacking, but overall the ethical side of angling is as strong as ever, just like any sport out there, some people go overboard to make a point, but overall I think you have to have strong ethics to successful.

Senko baits are great this time of year, I also am a big fan of chrome rattletraps. I have had great success this time of year with these baits

I recieved my own rod at the age of 3, it was a zebco or a johnson country mile, I will have to pull out some old pics to be sure.

I fish for Gar on a regular basis, I grew up fishing for gar and we have eaten them several times. As stated above, if you know how to clean them the fillets are boneless just like all other fillets. They are a hard fighting fish that can be taken on artificial tackle or on live or cut bait. People call them trash fish simply because they have never fished for them or them are ill informed on the subject of the fish. As stated above you want to catch a hard fighting fish that can bust up your tackle then you need to hook into a 100+ lb gar and then call them a trash fish. To date my largest is 126lb on r&r caught in the Navasota river in Texas.

If using a hook I go with 5/0 or 6/0 Circle Hook, Scale down the hook size if they are smaller, but with the big one's 50+ lbs go with a larger hook. If you are going with artificial tackle the rope trick mentioned by several other posters works very well, I make a skirt for a large spinnerbait with the frayed frop and real it very fast to break the waters surface to initiate some very aggressive strikes.

I have 3 baits that produce the most, the first would be chicken parts as mentioned above, the second is bacon, finally I have had great success with marshmallows placed in a bottle with holes in it, as they break down they put a good scent in the water and attract the crawfish.

What are you going after, There are several good posts on a forum that I moderate if you are going after catfish, a few guys fish Texana on a regular basis. www.fishingtx.com You might find some useful info there.

I have used bacon in the past, we caught crawfish with bacon as kids and then went catfishing with the crawfish or cooked up the crawfish if we caught enough. Bacon will attract a lot of different species of fish, but catfish were always the first to grab it when we used it.

I am a big fan of jitterbugs and topwater baits in general. Summer time is killer for topwater baits. I am hitting the water this weekend and topwater baits will be the first lure to hit the water.

I like to rig my ultralight with 2 or 4lb test line, normally trilene xl or mr crappie line works really well with ultralight setups. I use micro versions of rattle traps and crankbaits that are 1/32oz or so, they work perfectly with the ultralight setups and the fight is intense on the tackle.

I have snagged and been snagged by a topwater lure before, as mentioned above by several others, it was no fun at all to have to get the hooks removed. I have also snagged another rod and flipped it into the water, great day to ruin a good day on the water having to fish out your gear instead of catching fish.

My favorite is the white bucktail with a red head or just a solid white bucktail

Where are you located? I live in Texas and pretty much any lake in September is a good bet,

Give yourself every opportunity to catch the fish, don't just go with one bait, be prepared by having a choice so you can adjust to bite. jlfreeborn, good call on the panther martins.

Crackers, Cheese, Summer Sausage, Homemade Cookies

I have good success with ultralight jigs, spinners, and crankbaits. Strike King makes a bitsy bug jig, rig it up with a 2" crawfish trailer and it's a deadly bait for small rivers and streams. A 3" grub rigged on a light jig head is a good go to bait as well.

When bass fishing I have better success with the morning bite with topwaters and artificial worms. Later in the day and into the evening I switch to a jig/trailer combo or a weightless worm and I have been having great success.

The most successful worms i have ever used are Blue Fleck with Pearl white tail Purple with a Fire Tail Pumpkinseed

Texas rigged worm or Chug Bug

My Grandpa and my Papaw

That was gonna be my first question, what's the depth of the water. Jb24 and T hit the nail on the head

I have used one on a catfishing trip, my nephew really liked it because it lights up. I prefer an old fashioned bait clicker reel, but the quality is pretty good and the drag system seems to be worth the cost.

I use whatever can be caught in the local area, for instance in my area shad are the dominant bait fish. I also use live perch, beef liver, beef hearts, shrimp, and stink baits.

I prefer to use the jitterbugs early in the morning, stop and go technique with a pause of 10-15 seconds after each twitch seems to work good for me.

I am a big fan of storms soft bodied cranks and strike kings crank baits. I prefer a silver or gold pattern.

These lures seem to work the best for me early in the morning or late in the evening when the water has settled down. I pitch to pockets for clear water surrounded by lilly pads or weed beds, and work the lure with a stop and go technique, similar to the way you would work a pop-r, instead of the standard retrieve change it up a bit and you can get more out of the lure.

That's a great lure for largemouth, I have used a 7" saltwater version of the SkitterPop and bass that are smaller than the lure have no problems hitting it.

I would really like to go fishing with anyone on this forum, this is a grat place to share knowledge and techniques. I started posting on a fishing forum a few years back and started going out with different members from the site, it was a great experience and still is to this day, great way to pick up new information and pass on some of your own as well.

For Bass I would recommend soft plastics such as a ring fry worm or senko style worm 4" size rigged wacky style or weedless without a weight. For crappie and panfish try some panfish assasins in the 2"-3" size with a 1/32 or 1/16 oz jighead or slider head. Start on the bottom and work your way to the surface if you notice they are hitting closer to the top then switch to a tiny topwater bait or floating worm in the 3-4" class.

My dream trip has always been an Alaskan adventure or a South American Jungle Trip.

10/12lb Trilene for Bass Fishing 30-40lb Trilene Big Game for Catfish

I start on the bottom with a soft plastic lure such as a texas rigged worm and gradually work my way up the water column. Rule of thumb is to go deeper when it gets hot and sunny, but I experiment with several lures until I find the right depth.

I have not personally used this technique, but my uncle swears by it and uses it every year. I wet the ground and put out some corn meal and crushed crackers, I get more than enough worms to replenish my worm farm and bait needs.

Spincast reels are great for getting strarted in fishing, or for light action fishing. As stated above they do not hold up over the long term.

One of my favorite lures to use, my technique is similar to those mentioned above, the first thing I do is let the lure sit, then retrieve it with small twitches and then stop and let it sit again. The one thing that is great about that lure is that you can vary the retrieve and fish it lots of different ways, if one way is not working change to another technique until you find the one that works best. Some days they want it fast with a lot of surface noise, other days they want a subtle stop and go technique

3/16oz Denny Brauer Rattleback Jig 9lbs 14oz

I grew up fishing for Gar in the Navasota and Brazos Rivers in Texas, still fish for them on a regular basis. Largest I have personally caught was 126lbs on Rod and Reel in the Navasota River. I use live shad and live perch for them at Gibbon's Creek, largest I have caught there is in the 50's, but there are some there that will tip the scales at 100+ lbs. They will smash top water baits and spinnerbaits as well, if you use a spinner bait you can remove the skirt and make your own with frayed nylon rope, the gar will hammer the bait and the teeth will become wrapped in the rope, this is a great way to practice catch and release with these large fish.

The wierdest animal I saw was a racoon that had his head stuck in a milk jug, he had chewed through one side, but could not figure out how to get out. We caught him and helped him out of his trap.

For Channel Cats: Shad For Blues: Shad or Bluegill For Flatheads: Bluegill

I experiment with various tackle and techniques, you can't go wrong with soft plastics. I usually start with soft plastics and also use search baits, such as rattle traps, crank baits, and spinner baits. You can cover a lot of water with these and see if they are active or not. Also a jig/trailer is a great bait to go to if the bite is tough, slow down your presentation and take the time to map out the lake.

I have fished tanks, ponds, and lakes since I was a kid, The way it was explained to me by the old timers in the area is listed below. Tank: Body of water that is less than one acre, normally a water source for cattle or other farm animals. Pond: Larger body of water that is no larger than 5 acres, used as a water source for animals on farmland. High percentage of these larger ponds are stream fed so they hold a good water level throughout the heat of the summertime. Lake: Larger body of water that is 5 acres or more and is normally used for fishing and recreation, deeper body of water that has more development and structure that has been added to the body of water. Hope this helps a bit, the info listed by the others is great as well, but this is how it was explained to me years ago.

I grew up fishing on the river and still do so to this day. I am an avid catfisherman, rivers provide some of the best catfishing you will find.

I have had great success with Stren and Cajun Red

This site is beneficial and a great way to improve your hunting and fishing knowledge, but you will always have immature people who waste everyone's time.

Very Sad day, some people are just bent on hurting others. People like that wack job should just do us a favor and take themselves out, if you are that unhappy with life hurt yourself not innocent people.

Depends on what depth you are fishing, best suggestion is to experiment and adjust based on the depth of the water.

I only use one man boats in private ponds or small bodies of water.

T-Rex I would go after the top predator of his day

Catfish and Deer

I have an old 22 that was my grandfather's and a 12 gauge, 20 gauge, and a 410 that belonged to my dad.

Soft plastics: Texas rigged worms or tube baits. If the bite is tough go with a 4" ring worm or finesse worm. Spinnerbaits are a good bait to catch a few bass, change up the retrieve to find out what the bass are looking for.

I live in Texas and one of the easiest ways to find out when crappie bite is in full swing is too look for Dogwoods Blooming, when these trees are in full bloom which is happening as we speak the crappie bite is always on.

I really like using tube baits, rigged weedless and weightless, pitch them into cover and on the outer edge of cover. Jigs are great for ponds as well, try a 3/16oz rattleback jig with a grub trailer or use a 4" worm for a trailer, it will get through the cover and can be fished traditionally or you can swim it, the trailer will add extra movement and vibration.

Not sure what hooks you are using, but I only use circle hooks on my lines, whether it be throw line, trotline, or jug line. I use Eagleclaw Sea Circle hooks 4/0 to 8/0 depending on the average size of the fish. Good Luck with those lines, I agree they are a great way to put food in the freezer, my family eats fish at least 2 times a week.

Quality Reel and access to any body of water

Shrimp is always a good bait for drum, I have caught tons of them on shrimp, the cork technique works well, but a standard bottom rig has produced good numbers for me as well. It's hard to go wrong with shrimp

I live in a warm state as well and recently started a worm farm, I used a good supply of leaves and good field dirt to get started. I used some shredded newspaper for a base and make sure to keep enough moisture to keep them good and healthy. I also feed my worm corn meal for added nutrients. I use an old 12 person hotub that is burried in the ground up to the rim of the hot tub with a wire mesh roof to prevent animals from stealing the bait.

I have always believed in being proactive and doing what is right, some people will stand by and let bad things happen to others or not speak up, but the way I was raised if someone is in trouble and needs your help you provide help, no questions asked. A lot of people take a backseat when it involves politics because they feel they have no real say in what happens, truth is there is a lot of red tape to get around, but if you work at it hard enough and long enough your voice will be heard.

Good info posted above, It depends on what is coming out of those pipes, you could take a sample of the water and have it tested, In my local area they will do it at the local university, if you have a college nearby or another facility they may be able to do a quick water test for you. If you are in doubt I would not consume any fish from water that may be polluted, it's not worth your health. Hope this helps a bit.

I would suggest a 3-4" Grub rigged on a jighead, or a mid sized crankbait. Vary the weight of the jighead with the grubs, go with a green/brown color pattern, or a blue/black pattern to imitate a crawfish if you can.

Get out there and go after those fish, or pair up with someone locally that is a bass fisherman, there is no better way to learn than time on the water. Lures: Soft plastics, spinnerbaits, topwater baits, The way I learned was fishing with my dad, he would turn me lose and let me fish the way I wanted, I developed my own way of doing things, but he would always offer tips to make things easier, That's why I recommend going with some experienced anglers who can give you some tips and get you out on the water.

Caught several bass today, most were in the 1-2lb range, no big one's today. Bait of choice was a strike king weedless tube and a gambler 7" floating worm in black and yellow water snake pattern.

Fried Fish is my first choice, but I do like to bake it and smoke it on the pit as well. Boiled Crawfish is hard to beat

I am a big fan of a jig/trailer combo about 1oz setup or so. Another alternative to go along with Clay's comment of the jitterbug is a buzzbait, I have had some of my best days fishing a buzzbait on rough windy days, the water is already moving and that buzzbait just calls them up, I have landed several bass in the 7-8lb class with a buzz bait on cold windy days.

I use trot lines, throw lines, and juglines, but yo-yo lines are illegal in my state. I use lines pretty often for catfish, but that is the only species I set lines for.

I have used them before, they are not all they are cracked up to be. They will catch some fish, but they are not the magic bait they make them out to be. Not really worth the money.

I do it quite often, there is a small pond located on my company's property that is filled with small bass and perch. I setup an ultra-light rig and catch fish on my lunch break. Great way to relieve the stress of the work day.

I recently purchased a pair of Wylie X glasses, they have an added insert to block out extra light and they are military grade as well. I have been very pleased with them

10" worms are a good bait for larger bass Jig/Trailer combo Slow Rolled Swimbait, does not have to be the californai style swimbait, but something like a storm swimbait or strike king bait works well.

as stated by wsimien I love the challenge and fight that bass provide, but it's hard to resist a crappie fillet with a nice beer batter.

I have always had great success right before and right after a storm. Catfish seem to really get turned on after a storm finishes. Bass and Crappie are hit or miss, but after a storm fishing has resulted in some of my best catches.

40% Bran flakes with big red or vanilla extract, make a dough bait with this mixture and it's a killer bait for carp.

Somerville Gibbon's Creek Conroe These are the lakes I fish the most and they are loaded with nice size crappie

Sales at the local bait and tackle shop, it gets me every time. That little voice in my ear just say buy it, it's on sale.

I would just add another tip to the rod, quick and easy fix that will only cost you a few bucks. I repair rods all the time and they will be a little shorter, but the cost won't kill you like taking it to a tackle repair shop.

look forward to reading the article Del in KS

It's a personal choice, it's different for each person. If you have access to big fish water your standards may be totally different than the next person. For me I personally won't mount a Bass unless it's 10lbs, but I would go with a fiberglass replica so I could release the fish. I have mounted large sun perch and crappie Perch was 1.2lbs and the crappie was 3.5lbs.

Trot lines are legal in my area and I grew up setting them in the river. I prefer small setups that are hung from submerged limbs and staked to the bank versus the long trotlines that people run across areas. I usually set one up with 5 hooks at the most, but I actually do better with single hook lines

I have had a membership for sometime without any problems.

Not legal to do so in almost all states.

Abu-Garcia, Shimano, Penn, I have never had problems with my Abu Reels and they get used constantly, they are easy to work on and they can be customized as well.

I keep all of my soft plastics in bags to help protect them, I also store my corks in bags or plastic tubs to keep them protected. The best tip is to keep your tackle out of the sun or direct heat to protect your investment. One thing I learned from my first batch of worms that burned in the sun, was to cut thick bricks of styrofoam and lay old soft plastics on it, they will melt into the styrofoam and you have a cheap worm mold.

I have caught several fish on a bare hook, the reflection of the sunshine hitting the hook attracted the fish and several small perch and bass were caught this way. The most unusual was a bottle cap lure and the tabs from soda cans rigged with hooks.

In my delivery truck, I was working for a company delivering frozen food and ice cream to homes. I came out after a delivery and found a deer had ran into the side of my truck and broken through one of the doors, he was hanging on the side of the truck and it took some work to get him free.

If i am not able to use a worm then I would go with a 2 blade spinnerbait or a jig and craw trailer combo.

I do that exact thing every weekend, during prime catfish season I am out fishing all night and usually I don't hit the water until 11pm or after. My wife will work the late shift, I pick her up take her home and then I head to the lake to stay all night.

I have used them for largemouth bass and alligator gar

I have kept a journal for several years and I note a little bit of everything. I note the date, time, weather, bait used, etc. But as mentioned above I also tell the story of the trip, sometimes I get off subject and just start writing down my thoughts. I also add drawings and later turn those into paintings.

Ugly Stick Berkley Big Game Rod ( Around $20 ) I fish for catfish every week and the berkley big game rods are always getting used and abused and they hold up. Same can be said for Ugly stick rods, they have a catfish series by uglystick that is a little more expensive, but the traditional Ugly Stick is just as good and will not let you down.

You can't go wrong with topwater and spinnerbaits as mentioned by several people above. Another lure I have great success with in ponds this time of year is a tube or artificial worm.

Ugly Stick makes a great all around rod. Berkley Reflex Rods are great for catfishing, 8-9 ft model has never let me down.

fishing and baseball

Dark colored worm with a pearl tail Texas Rigged

Congrats in advance to whomever gets picked.

Bass Pro or Academy

I have kept a fishing journal for quite a few years now, I also do a lot of sketches and later convert those into paintings. I started out with my journal because I was conducting some field studies for some small town lure designers and it grew from there. It's fun to look back at journal entries from years ago and look at the date, time, lures used, etc.

From everything I have seen they are causing some damage and need to be addressed, We have a big population in a lot of the lakes I fish, but they are the common variety carp, not the problematic asian variety.

126lb Alligator Gar

They are aggressive fish, sometimes moreso than bass. They are curious, but if you get a bait around their spawning beds they will attack it no matter what. That aggressive bite is what makes catching them so fun.

I always research all of my trips before going, I want to maximize my time and also make sure I don't make a trip and find out the campsite is closed or something has gone on that will ruin my trip or vacation.

Just someone looking to get views while trying to stir the pot.

The easiest way to catch big bass when you are young is to fish as often as possible and pair up with someone if possible. The best lure to use to catch a big bass is a jig with a trailer or an artificial worm rigged texas style or as mentioned above wacky style. The first big bass i caught was when I was 8 and it was a 5lb largemouth caught on a texas rigged worm, I have been hooked from that point on.

Look in the local area for baitfish and if possible catch some baitfish and use fresh live bait or cut bait. The stinkbait and liver mentioned above are also great choices for catfish.

If it ever got to that point we would no longer be in america, that sounds like some old school cold war stuff. I don't think it will ever get to that point, if it does, it will get real ugly, real fast.

Jig w/ Trailer or Plastic worm

I don't leave a spot until I have completely covered the water column with different casts. I use a fan pattern and try to cover the area in detail, I also will use several different lures to cover the top water bite, the mid level bite, and the deep water bite. You may not need to cover all three columns if you are fishing shallow water just take your time and give it a chance. I have stayed in one area for 50 casts or more and not had any action until the 50th cast, but sometimes that big one is just waiting around and finally they will get frustated enough to hit.

Shad, Shrimp, Beef Heart, Beef Liver, Cutbait, Live Perch, dip bait, stink bait, etc. Catfish are easy to catch if you do a little research and don't mind putting in a little time to find out what they like. Most bodies of water have catfish in them and they are pretty easy to catch. I catfish every single week and they go after something different each time. Don't be afraid to experiment with different baits and techniques, that is part of the fun of going after catfish.

Keep a few small fish for the table and release the rest.

I have luck year round with crappie, but my favorite time is in the evening just before the sun sets.

I like bait casters simply because of the strength of the reel and the casting distance, but I keep a good spinning reel on hand at all times. It's a matter of preference.

It's tough when you first start using a baitcaster, but the above info is exactly what i would have recommended. It's practice time that is needed, I always setup an area in my back yard and put on different weights to match the weight of lures you are using so you can adjust to diffent weights and adjuts the brake if it has one. Good Luck with it

I have caught several snakes on topwater frog lures, I have a small pond near my home that is over run with snakes, they will go after topwater frogs and you can get a good hookset on them.

For me I would have to say around 4am.

Louisiana, i visit it quite often and love the cuisine, nothing better than eating some crawfish and sipping a cold beverage of your choice.

I am a big fan of a jig and trailer combo, i use either a crawfish or lizard trailer. If the fish are biting slowly I will switch to a small or bitsy bug jig, scaling down the size will initiate a lot of bites when they are hesitant to hit the larger jig

I have tried both of them, the spro frog works pretty well, but it is pricey and I don't like paying that price for one lure. The horny toads are good as well, but as mentioned above they do not seem to hold up as well. A few others you might want to try are the stanley frogs that came out a few years ago, they come in a pack for around $5-6 with a few hooks and a few extra bodies in the pack, they hold up pretty well and for the price they are worth it.

I always look for more fishing in any magazine, but during the prime fishing times they do offer more fishing articles and information that hunting and field articles.

I would recommend paring up with someone in your area who fishes for bass and get some first hand experience or on the water training. Also read through some of the past articles and try some of the tips and techniques that have been posted. This will be a lot easier after you have gotten some on the water experience.

Work all levels and all areas of the water you are fishing for the best results. As they say, leave no stone unturned

I would suggest a jerk bait,

For that price range I would look for a mitchell or abu garcia spinning combo, If you are not able to find them try a shimano spinning combo. If you are partial to baitcasting combo's you can find a abu-garcia or even a quantum for that range that should work out pretty well. I recently purchased a baitcasting combo with a 7ft med/heavy rod for $49.99 (Abu Garcia) it has worked out well and for a farm pond it will handle bass/crappie and even catfish if there are any in the pond.

There are a lot to choose from right now, I am partial to the soft sided tackle boxes with interchangable boxes. Plano, Frabill, FLW, Shimano, there are a lot of companies out there that are making tackle bags right now. Just my opinion, but if you go with the soft sided bag with the interchangable boxes as you expand you tackle selection you can change out boxes as needed based on what you are going after. If you want a hard sided tackle box look at plano or frabill and you should be able to find one for that price or even less.

I have used those baits, but as mentioned above live bait or crappie jigs always produce more in my experience.

For Channels and Blues I use fresh shad,I normally catch it with a cast net and use it as fresh as I can, if I can't catch them I will use frozen shad. Stinkbaits and dipbaits work really well for channel cats, I make my own stinkbait and dipbait and it does the trick for good eater size channels. Beef Liver, Beef Heart, Shrimp, work for channels and blues as well. For Flatheads I use only live bait, large fresh perch (bream).

I prefer to use spinning tackle with a 8ft rod med/heavy action for carp fishing. I like the spinning rod due to the fact you can load it up with lighter line, carp make a pretty good run so the extra line will come in handy. Also with the lighter line you will have to use your drag and play the fish for a while. Hope this helps a bit

What lb test are you looking for? and are you looking for monofilament, flourocarbin,?

Strike King Pro Model w/ craw trailer Strike King Rattleback Strike King Bitsy Bug I also like Lunker Lures Jigs.

Cowboys fan here

I would go with a 1/16 or 1/8oz tiny trap or a mini bomber lure, there are a few other companies out there that make lures called "pond series" they are ultralight cranks and traps that work really well for crappie. A shad pattern such a solid silver or a gold/black always work well for me when going after crappie.

You can get a rod repair kit made by fuji for around $3-5 bucks and repair the rod. Or you can have it fixed by a rod repair shop, but it may cost you a lot more. If you were going to buy another with a budget of around $50 you could go with a shimano or abu-garcia combo, or even a mitchell combo that would keep you within your budget. These are not top end rod and reel combos by any means, but for $50 you can get a pretty good combo. As mentioned by rrmont and mutt you may want to fix it and invest in some tackle to better your chances for different species, I would also upgrade the line with a stronger lb test.

I am not sure on the points, but the more active you are the better chance you have of being selected.

I have the same issue from time to time, it will post in triplicate at times.

I have fished live frogs for bass and for catfish with great success, the leg hook technique as mentioned in the tip section is a great way to go, they stay very lively and cause a lot of vibration in the water. I have also used mice, they did not work as well as the frogs, another bait that outperformed the frogs were waterdogs, if you can get them in your area they are dynamite for bass, they attract bigger fish in my experiences with them.

I have been having great success for bluecats and Largemouth bass.

I fish with jigs all the time, as mentioned above a football head jig is a definite must have, but experiment with the sizes and the jig heads, round heads, pitching heads, finesse heads, etc. I am a big fan of crawfish colored jigs, white, blue/black, pumpkinseed. I always recommend a trailer with the jig, a crawfish always works the best for me, but you can cut down a worm or buy a 4" worm, they make great trailers for jigs.

I agree with the above post by Kolbster for the price they are very good, I have several I use for bass fishing and they hold up well and the drag system is good for the money.

I really like to scale down and use a rooster tail or roadrunner style bait, a tiny trap works great as well. Also a 4" worm also seems to do well in creeks and streams.

If you are gonna be in or around texas give Lake Fork a try, one of the best trophy bass lakes around

The whites are beginning to stage in the opening to creeks in my area, but they won't really move in until we get some rain and the water in the creeks begins to rise. 8/10lb test is good for most white bass applications, I really like using shad assasin baits, and bluefox spinners, beetle spins, and little george baits are always a go to for white bass.

You can never go wrong with soft plastics and Jigs rigged with craw trailers. Go with a football head jig in open water and round jig head in shallow water or weeds.

When you click on the photos tab you will see an option to submit your photo, just select your photo from your computer and fill out all the required fields and submit the photo. Make sure the photo has been resized, normally i set mine to 640x480 and I don't have any problem getting them to post correctly. You can resize with programs like photoshop or there are a lot of free resources online that will allow you to resize your pictures.

I am a big fan of zoom baits and creme lures, they have always produces and they are easy to find.

I have done it 2 ways, the first is pine trees they work really well, the other is to build a structure using pvc pipe and buckets with concrete in the bucket to hold it in place, There are a lot of different versions out there and lots of people have great ideas on these. A little research goes a long way before you put in the time and effort to setup a structure. The easiest is the pine tree setup.

I think everyone is getting worried for no reason, some changes and regulations may be issued, but there are too many gun owners in the world and too many political ties to have all the guns taken away. Relax let play out and see where we are in the future, I am a gun owner and I am not giving up my guns.

basspro, cabelas, and a new place I shopped recently Acadia sports.

I have used a green and blue light while crappie fishing from a pier and from a boat, we did catch more crappie for the reason stated by alex, the baitfish came in and the crappie followed.